Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
When you are in financial crisis, abusive debt collection
practices can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Seriously abusive debt collection activities can contribute
to marital instability, job loss, and invasion of individual
privacy. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)
was passed in 1996 to protect individuals from all debt
collectors.
Attempting to collect a debt does not require the
use of abusive language, deceptive statements, or unfair
threats. Because of abundant evidence of the use of
abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection practices
by many debt collectors, Congress enacted the FDCPA
to protect consumers.
The purpose of the FDCPA is to:
- Eliminate abusive debt collection practices by
debt collectors.
- Ensure that those debt collectors who refrain from
using abusive debt collection practices are not competitively
disadvantaged.
- Promote consistent State action to protect consumers
against debt collection abuses.
If you are a victim of abusive debt collection practices,
contact your state’s Attorney General’s Office and file
a formal complaint. If you have filed for bankruptcy
and are in the middle of the process, notify your attorney
of any unfair debt collection activities which you may
be experiencing.
|
